Anthem of the Seas Returns to Service: Successful Repair Following Propulsion Failure

Von Dickelbers - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
The Anthem of the Seas has returned to regular service. Following a severe technical malfunction in the primary propulsion system (Azipod) in late January 2026, Royal Caribbean International was forced to reschedule operations on short notice, resulting in the complete cancellation of a planned ten-day New Zealand cruise. However, the enforced break has now ended: on Friday, February 6, 2026, the ship departed Sydney Harbor punctually at 5:00 PM and is currently back at sea with passengers on a route along the Queensland coast.

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To restore the ship's technical integrity, a logistically challenging solution was implemented. Since Australia lacks a dry dock capable of accommodating the dimensions of the Quantum Class, the vessel was relocated to the deep natural harbor of Eden (New South Wales). Far from the hectic turnaround operations in Sydney, specialized divers performed the complex repairs directly in the water. The focus was on repairing the affected propulsion pod to ensure full maneuverability.

For the guests of the cancelled voyage, the news was naturally a setback, particularly due to the very short-term communication from the cruise line. To mitigate the frustration and inconvenience caused, Royal Caribbean responded with a full refund of the cruise fare as well as all booked add-on services. Additionally, affected customers received a "Future Cruise Credit" amounting to 25 percent of the cruise fare as compensation for the lost holiday experience.

Current tracking data confirms the success of these measures. The Anthem of the Seas reached its first destination, Airlie Beach, on time on February 9 and is maintaining its scheduled speeds. The operational restart has thus been successful, and the ship is once again fully available for voyages in the Oceania region.